There has been a long-standing need for retaining fiber insulation in place in residential and commercial buildings, mobile homes, and the like. Blown-in insulation, in particular, settles, leaving an air space and, for example, no insulation at the top portion of walls. Other insulation batts are not self-supporting and tend to settle over time from their own weight, from vibration caused by winds, the activities of building occupants, as well as from water when the batts get wet from leaks and condensation, and the like. FIG. 1 is directed to a typical prior art insulation installation which has settled because of one or all of the aforementioned reasons. As seen therein, insulation 12 between studs 10 has settled to leave space 14 of wall 16 above the top of insulation 12. Since insulation settling removes insulation from the higher portions of a building wall and heat rises, a great deal of heat loss occurs from such settling. It has been shown that as much as one third of heat loss from an average residence where insulation settling has occurred is due to such settling.
Over the years, many solutions have been attempted to prevent settling of the insulation. One such solution is disclosed in French Pat. No. 2,554,847 to Blandin, et al. As shown therein, fibers coated with an adhesive are blown into two parallel spaces A and R, separated by an impermeable partition 16. Air permeable inner and outer sheets 17 and 18 enclose the spaces and are affixed to the surfaces of spaced vertical supports. Internal partition 16 is affixed to additional internal support members 10 and 11. This structure appears to be effective, although the bulk of the blown-in insulation no doubt collects toward the bottom of the structure. A large amount of adhesive must be used since all fibers are coated with it. Extra support elements 10 and 11 are required. Construction of this structure, considering materials and labor, is expensive.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,780,090, entitled INSULATING STRUCTURE, to Rasmussen, and 4,236,361, entitled PREFABRICATED BUILDING COMPONENTS, to Boden, disclose the use of wire screens to reinforce insulating materials such as foams. U.S. Pat. No. 1,924,515, entitled BUILDING WALL CONSTRUCTION, to Reinke, discloses a insulating material having flanges designed to be tacked to wall studs. U.S. Pat. No. 1,148,447, entitled INSULATING FELT, to Ehret, discloses an insulating felt reinforced with a textile material.
It is apparent that retaining insulation in place on a vertical wall is a long-standing problem and that a simple and inexpensive solution is needed.